Antarctic Peninsula Cruises

Starting from $7,250

The 'Classic Antarctic' route. This cruise delivers you to wondrous landscapes found in one of the harshest environments on Earth. The great star-actors of Antarctica are the penguins and in total seven species could appear before your very own eyes.

Itinerary

PLEASE NOTE: The itinerary shown below is for the 10-night departures. Some departure dates are for the 9-night tours, which spend one less day in Antarctica.

Day 1: End of the World, Start of a Journey

Your voyage begins where the world drops off: Ushuaia, Argentina, reputed to be the southernmost city on the planet, located on the far southern tip of South America. Starting in the afternoon, you embark from this small resort town on Tierra del Fuego – nicknamed “The End of the World” – and sail the scenic, mountain-fringed Beagle Channel for the rest of the evening.

Day 2-3: Path of the Polar Explorers

Over the next two days on the Drake Passage, you catch a taste of life from the perspective of the polar explorers who first braved these regions: cool salt breezes, rolling waves, maybe even a fin whale blasting up a column of sea spray. After passing the Antarctic Convergence – Antarctica’s natural boundary, formed when north-flowing cold waters collide with warmer subantarctic seas – you are in the circum-Antarctic upwelling zone. Not only does the marine life change, the avian life changes too: A variety of albatrosses and petrels show up, along with Cape pigeons and southern fulmars. Then, near the South Shetlands Islands, the first icebergs flash into sight.

Day 4-8: Enter the Antarctic

Gray stone peaks sketched with snow, towers of broken blue-white ice, and dramatically different wildlife below and above. You first pass the snow-capped Melchior Islands and Schollaert Channel, sailing between Brabant and Anvers Islands. Sites you may be able to visit include: Cuverville Island – Stabbing up between Rongé Island and the Antarctic Peninsula, Cuverville houses a colony of several thousand gentoo penguins as well as pairs of breeding brown skuas. Danco Island – Activities here may focus on the gentoo penguins nesting on the island, in addition to the Weddell and crabeater seals that may be found nearby. Neko Harbor – An epic landscape of mammoth glaciers and endless wind-carved snow. You have the chance to set foot on the Continent here, and also to go for a Zodiac cruise with a view of the ice-crusted alpine peaks. Paradise Bay – You may be able to walk on the Continent again at this location, or to take a Zodiac cruise in the sprawling, ice-flecked waters. Here you have a good chance of seeing humpback and minke whales. Port Lockroy – After sailing through the Neumayer Channel, you may visit the former British research station – now a museum and post office – of Port Lockroy on Goudier Island. You might also be able to partake in activities around Jougla Point, meeting gentoo penguins and blue-eyed shags. There are great opportunities for kayaking and camping here. When conditions are right, you can even snowshoe around the shore. Booth, Pléneau & Petermann Islands – If the ice allows it, you may sail through the Lemaire Channel in search of Adélie penguins and blue-eyed shags. There’s also a good chance you’ll encounter humpback and minke whales as well as leopard seals. You may also visit Booth Island’s, Port Charcot. Wilhelmina Bay & Guvernøren – This is a great place to spot humpback whales, and you also may embark on a Zodiac cruise – and scuba dive, if you’re certified – around the ghostly wreck of Guvernøren, a whaling vessel that caught fire here in 1915. Around the Melchior Islands, amid a frozen landscape peopled with icebergs, you may encounter even more whales, leopard seals, and crabeater seals. You depart at noon, depending on conditions on the Drake Passage.

Day 9-10: Familiar Seas, Familiar Friends

Your return voyage is far from lonely. While crossing the Drake, you’re again greeted by the vast array of seabirds remembered from the passage south. But they seem a little more familiar to you now, and you to them.

Day 11: There and Back Again

Every adventure, no matter how grand, must eventually come to an end. It’s now time to disembark in Ushuaia, but with memories that will accompany you wherever your next adventure lies.

Ship allows an "open bridge policy" to observe its sophisticated navigation equipment and provides an excellent location to view wildlife and the landscape (subject to weather and critical navigation maneuvers)

Expert naturalist guides

Included

Voyage aboard the indicated vessel as indicated in the itinerary

All meals throughout the voyage aboard the ship including snacks, coffee and tea

All shore excursions and activities throughout the voyage by Zodiac

Program of lectures by noted naturalists and leadership by experienced expedition staff

Free use of rubber boots and snowshoes

Luggage transfer from pick-up point to the vessel on the day of embarkation, in Ushuaia

Pre-scheduled group transfer from the vessel to the airport in Ushuaia (directly after disembarkation)

All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the program

Comprehensive pre-departure material

Adventure Options

Kayaking: $465 per person

Camping: $180 per person (2018); $190 per person (2019)

PLEASE NOTE: Due to the nature of expedition cruising, itineraries are subject to change due to weather, ice conditions, natural and cultural events, wildlife viewing opportunities and other logistical considerations. In general, a ship's crew will endeavor to complete the itinerary provided, but the ultimate decision lies with the ship's captain and expedition leaders.